Nasai

489. Commentary: Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib radi Allahu anhuma was an Ansari Companion. It is evident that he only performed prayers with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam after the Hijrah. Thus, the meaning of the hadith is that until sixteen or seventeen months after the Hijrah, the qiblah remained Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). In the month of 15th Rajab or Sha‘ban of the 2nd year after Hijrah, the Ka‘bah was appointed as the qiblah. For detailed rulings and issues related to the qiblah, please refer to the beginning of the Book of Qiblah (Kitab al-Qiblah).

Hadith Commentary:
This hadith has already been mentioned in the Book of Prayer (Kitab al-Salat).
That is, Allah will not do such that He would waste your prayers which were performed facing Bayt al-Maqdis, nor will He withhold their reward.
The situation was that when the qiblah was changed, the polytheists of Makkah began to say that now Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is gradually coming towards our way;
in a few days, he will again adopt the religion of his forefathers.
The hypocrites began to say that if the first qiblah was the truth, then this second qiblah is false.
The People of the Book began to say that if he were a true prophet, he would have kept his qiblah as Bayt al-Maqdis, like the previous prophets.
They began to make such absurd statements.
At that time, Allah the Exalted revealed the verses: ﴿سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ﴾ (: al-Baqarah: 142).
In the verse, the word "worship" is referred to as "faith" (iman), from which the equivalence between righteous deeds and faith is established.

Hadith Commentary:
When the change of the qiblah (direction of prayer) occurred, the polytheists, hypocrites, and Jews began to make various remarks.

The polytheists of Makkah started saying:
Now Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is gradually adopting our way. After a few days, he will abandon this new religion and return to his ancestral religion.

The hypocrites of Madinah Tayyibah began to say:
If the first qiblah was correct, then the second qiblah is wrong, and if the second is correct, then the first was wrong.

Similarly, the People of the Book said:
If he were a true Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he would have made Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) the qiblah, just like the previous prophets (alayhim as-salam).

In this way, all of them together began to utter absurd and futile statements.

In response to their futile talk, Allah the Exalted revealed these verses:
"Soon the foolish among the people will say..."
...until the end.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/215)

2.
It should be noted that in the noble verse, the prayers (salat) have been referred to as faith (iman), from which the unity between faith and actions is understood.

It is thus established that faith is not a static thing in which there is no increase or decrease; rather, it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

In the aforementioned verse, Allah the Exalted has given reassurance to the believers that their prayers have not been wasted; rather, they will be given a full reward for their prayers.

In this verse, prayer (salat) has been referred to as faith (iman) because, without prayer, faith has no standing.

Hadith Commentary:
The command for the change of the qiblah was revealed in Rajab or Sha'ban of the 2nd year after Hijrah.

It happened that Bishr ibn Bara' radi Allahu anhu passed away in the tribe of Banu Salamah, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went there for the funeral prayer.

This place was at a distance of three miles from Masjid Nabawi.

After the funeral, you were requested to partake in a meal.

Meanwhile, the time for the Zuhr prayer arrived, so you performed the Zuhr prayer in the mosque of Banu Salamah. During the prayer, through revelation, you were given the command for the change of the qiblah, so at that very moment, you and your followers turned from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Ka'bah.

Since you migrated to Madinah Tayyibah on Monday, the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, if the fraction is counted, it becomes seventeen months, and if the fraction is omitted, it becomes sixteen months.

And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
The narrator, ‘Abad ibn Bishr radi Allahu anhu, was a Companion, and this was the mosque of Banu Harithah, which is still known today as Masjid al-Qiblatayn.
All praise is due to Allah that the undersigned had the honor of seeing this mosque once in 1951 and again in 1962.
The people of Quba learned of this the next day; they were performing the dawn (fajr) prayer, and during the prayer itself, they turned towards the Ka‘bah.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
From this narration, the importance of facing the qiblah becomes evident. In the mentioned incident, two rak‘ahs could have been completed, but when it was learned that the command regarding the change of qiblah had come, neither was the prayer left incomplete to start anew facing the Ka‘bah, nor was the prayer completed while still facing Bayt al-Maqdis. Rather, due to the significance of facing the Ka‘bah, the direction was changed immediately during the prayer itself, even though this change must have certainly involved great difficulty, especially for the imam, as while praying towards Bayt al-Maqdis the direction was towards the north, and now, on the contrary, it had to be turned towards the south.
In any case, there was certainly difficulty, but the qiblah was corrected in that very state.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has described the manner of this change as follows:
“The imam moved from the front part of the mosque to the rear part, because if he had merely turned around while standing in place, there would have been no space for the people to stand behind him. Then the people also changed their direction, and the women walked to come behind the men.” (Fath al-Bari: 1/656)

➋
When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam migrated from Makkah to Madinah, most of the inhabitants of Madinah were Jews, who used to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis.
You were commanded to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis, and this made the Jews very happy, but your heartfelt desire was to pray facing the qiblah of Ibrahim alayhis salam, i.e., the Ka‘bah. Thus, you would look towards the sky, awaiting this command.
You also awaited the change of qiblah because the Jews often used to say that this Prophet, despite opposing us in other matters, is compelled to pray facing our qiblah.
Finally, after seventeen months, the command for the change of qiblah arrived.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had also been commanded to face Bayt al-Maqdis.
This was neither your own ijtihad nor for the sake of winning the hearts of the People of the Book.
Some narrations indicate that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was still in Makkah when he was commanded to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis.
For three years in Makkah, you prayed in this manner, and while praying, you would also keep the Ka‘bah in front of you. However, upon reaching Madinah, this was no longer possible, because the directions of the Ka‘bah and Bayt al-Maqdis had become opposite to each other. Therefore, you awaited the command of Allah Ta‘ala for its change, and finally, according to your wish, the command for the change of qiblah was given.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/651)

➌
In which mosque and during which prayer was the command for the change of qiblah given? There are various narrations regarding this:
In Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was leading the Zuhr prayer in his mosque when the revelation regarding the change to the Ka‘bah came.
You turned towards the Ka‘bah during the prayer itself.
It is also said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, one day, went to the house of the mother of Bishr ibn Bara’ radi Allahu anhu in the tribe of Banu Salamah, where she had arranged a meal for you. There, the time for Zuhr prayer arrived, so you planned to pray in the local mosque of Banu Salamah. You had only prayed two rak‘ahs when the command to pray facing the Ka‘bah came, so you turned towards the Ka‘bah during the prayer itself. For this reason, the mosque of Banu Salamah became famous as Masjid Qiblatayn, because in this mosque, a single prayer was completed facing two qiblahs.
Bishr ibn ‘Abad prayed there and then went to the mosque of Banu Harithah at the time of ‘Asr, where they had already prayed two rak‘ahs of ‘Asr.
He informed the worshippers of the change of qiblah during the prayer itself, so they too turned towards the qiblah in that very state.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/651)
Since Banu Harithah resided within Madinah, they received the news at the time of ‘Asr prayer.
However, the people of Quba’, who lived outside Madinah, received the news during the Fajr prayer.
They too turned towards the Ka‘bah during the prayer itself.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/655–656)

Hadith Commentary:
This incident took place on the first day of the change of Qiblah, at the mosque of Banu Harith, that is, Masjid Qiblatayn.
In some narrations, the Dhuhr (noon) prayer is mentioned, and the incident in the next hadith pertains to the following day at Masjid Quba. Thus, there is no contradiction between the two narrations.
The relevance to the chapter is clear: the majority of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) accepted and acted upon a solitary report (khabar wahid).
Those who reject solitary reports are, in fact, rejecting the practice of the majority of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum).

Hadith Commentary:
This incident pertains to the very first day of the change of the qiblah. The mosque of the Ansar tribe, Banu Harith, known as "Qiblatayn," still exists today. Upon hearing the news from one person, the majority of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) turned their direction towards the Ka'bah while in the state of prayer.

On this basis, a solitary report (khabar wahid) is authoritative, and those who deny its authority are, in effect, denying the practice of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in). These individuals have no evidence regarding this matter. They merely follow conjecture and assumption, which the Noble Qur'an has prohibited.

And Allah is the One whose help is sought.

Hadith Commentary:
Blessed Dream:
Righteous deeds are also included in faith; this discussion has already been detailed earlier, but at that point, this verse was not mentioned. Alhamdulillah, one night at the time of tahajjud (late night prayer), I was repeatedly instructed in a dream to recite this verse and was told emphatically to write it here as well. Accordingly, in Hadith 39, I have quoted this verse on the basis of that dream:
﴿وَكَفَىٰ بِهِ شَهِيدًا﴾ (Secret)

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This refers to the refutation of those who say that deeds have no connection with faith (iman) and that faith neither increases nor decreases, whereas in the Noble Qur’an, prayer (salah) has been described as faith. From this, it is understood that there is a special connection between faith and prayer, because prayer is a great symbol of faith, the dividing line between a servant and disbelief, and the firm pillar of the religion. Due to this connection, salah is, in a sense, the very essence of faith.
When this act is considered faith, then increase and decrease in it are also possible.
The application of faith to prayer is the application of the whole to a part; therefore, prayer is established as a part of faith.
This is the intended meaning.

➋
From this hadith, it is understood that the first prayer performed facing the Ka‘bah was the ‘Asr prayer, but according to some narrations, it was the Zuhr prayer.
In reality, the events are as follows: Banu Salamah, who resided three miles from the Prophet’s Mosque, experienced the death of Bashir ibn Bara’ radi Allahu anhu. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went there for the funeral.
There, the time for Zuhr prayer arrived, so he led the Zuhr prayer in the mosque of Banu Salamah. After performing two rak‘ahs, the command for the change of qiblah was given.
He and his noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in, in that very state, turned towards the Ka‘bah.
The name of this mosque is Masjid Qiblatayn.
Even today, there are two prayer niches (mihrabs) in this mosque.
After this, the first prayer that was performed entirely facing the Ka‘bah was the ‘Asr prayer, which was performed in the Prophet’s Mosque. Then, through them, the news reached other mosques. Thus, a man passed by the mosque of Banu Harithah while they were still performing the ‘Asr prayer. They were informed of the change of qiblah during the prayer, and they turned without hesitation.
Then, the next day, the people of Quba’ outside Madinah were informed at the time of Fajr prayer.
Now, reconciliation can be made between these various narrations (Zuhr, ‘Asr, and Fajr).
(Fath al-Bari: 1/131, 651)

➌
At the end of the narration, there is a route from the narrator Zuhayr, which Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned in a connected form in the Book of Tafsir (Hadith no. 4488).
In it, there is mention of some Companions being killed before the change of qiblah.
Although no battle had taken place by that time, it is not necessary that killing only occurs in war; due to enmity with the disbelievers, the occasion for killing can also arise.
The number of those noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in who passed away before the change of qiblah is ten: three in Makkah—‘Abdullah ibn Shahab, Mutalib ibn Azhar, and Suqran ibn ‘Amr al-‘Amiri; five in Abyssinia—Khattab ibn Harith, ‘Amr ibn Umayyah, ‘Abdullah ibn Harith, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza, and ‘Adi ibn Nadhla; and in Madinah Munawwarah—Bara’ ibn Ma‘rur and As‘ad ibn Zurara radi Allahu ta‘ala anhum. There was concern regarding these individuals, which is mentioned in the narration; thus, with the revelation of the verse, reassurance was given.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/132)

➍
From this hadith, the authority (hujjiyyah) of a solitary report (khabar wahid) is also established, as the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in changed a definitive matter based solely on the sworn statement of a single Companion.
This means that sometimes a solitary report also yields certainty, especially when accompanied by supporting evidence.
Although the levels of certainty differ, the statement of the jurists (fuqaha) that a solitary report always yields only conjecture is questionable.
This hadith refutes this self-made principle of the jurists.

Explanation:
1:
We see your (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) face repeatedly turning towards the sky; now We shall surely turn you towards a qiblah that will please you. So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haram. ()

743. Commentary: See Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith: 489, 490.

490. Commentary:

➊ The name of this Ansar tribe was Banu Harithah.

➋ The fact that the Ansar turned towards the Ka'bah (Baytullah) during prayer caused some movement for all those praying, because the Ka'bah is in the exact opposite direction from Bayt al-Maqdis. Obviously, the imam had to pass through the rows to come to the other side, and the followers also had to change their rows. It is thus understood that any movement required for the correction of the prayer does not invalidate the prayer, whether it is minor or major.

➌ It is established that a solitary report (khabar wahid) is a valid proof.

➍ A ruling is not applied before knowledge of it is acquired, because the command to change the qiblah had already been revealed before this tribe began their prayer, but since they became aware of it during the prayer, the prayer already performed facing the previous qiblah was not invalidated.

➎ There is a difference of opinion as to whether the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis by revelation or due to conformity with the People of the Book.